Geometric Plantings

• A key element of a formal English garden is structure and pattern, such as rows. Look at your space and make a quick sketch of the perimeter. Then decide how you would like to clump your plants. Some popular flowers for English gardens include delphiniums, foxgloves, peonies, lavender and sweet peas. If your garden is going to back up to the side of your house, consider a border of foxgloves, backed up by another row of lavender, and let a row of peonies tower gaily above.
  
  

Take A Seat

• An English garden is not complete without a place to sit and contemplate its beauty. But the type of seating you choose will play a substantial role in deciding how to organize the rest of your plot. A wrought iron and wooden bench is lovely for a larger space; a stained concrete stool is a nice perch when you have more limited space. Whichever you decide, place it so that it faces the place you most want to look, whether a striking rose bush or a small sculpture or fountain.
  
  

Paths or Steppings Stones

• An important element of an English garden is the path. A classic path involves flagstones with some sort of creeping ground cover, such as breath of heaven (Coleonema pulchellum), or English thyme, between each stone. A close-cropped swath of grass can also serve as a softer path. Whether made of brick, flagstone, tile or grass, the path helps bring your garden together and offers an invitation into it to passersby.